Preschool intervention led to reduced blood pressure, obesity, especially among men

By Bruce Bower, 10:55 AM March 27, 2014

High-quality early childhood programs may reduce adults’ obesity and blood pressure, a new study finds.

Kids from poor families who were randomly assigned to a program of educational activities, basic medical care and healthy meals for the first five years of life displayed better health in their mid-30s than peers who didn’t get the intervention, say psychologist Frances Campbell of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her colleagues.